Telephone system



(No Model.)

H. 0. H'ASKINS. Telephone System.

242,311. atented May 31,1381.

NITED STATES PATENT O I E,

HARRYO. HASKINS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,311, dated May 31,1881.

Application filed October 2, 1880.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY O. HASKINS, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee, and in the Stale'of Wisconsin, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Telephone Systems; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to the working of telephone-exchanges; and itconsists in a system by which the operators in the central office maysilently communicate with each other in their work of connecting anddisconnecting subscribers with each other.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a Gilliland switch-board,and Fig. 2 a plan view of an operators table.

It has heretofore been one of the great obstacles to the successfulworking of telephoneexchanges that the announcement, orally and bywriting, of the connections and disconnections has been accompanied by agreat deal of confusion; and the object of my invention is to overcomethis, which I do as follows, illustrating by a Gilliland switchboard:This switch-board I place in the operators room of the central office,connecting it with the table by wires I K. Upon the table I place anannunciator, A, into which wire K enters, the wire 0 connecting theannunciator A with switch B, which turns on a vertical axis or pivot toconnect the annunciatorA with either of buttons to b. A wire, H, extendsfrom button b to target G on annunciator E, and when this target is setor in its raised position it'is connected with the electrical power Fthrough spring S and wire G, the power F being suitably grounded. Line Isimply passes from the switch-board to button a and plate 0.

The generator Y is connected, when desired, with annunciatorE by line 0,key D, and line L, and aununciator E is grounded by wire or line E.

Just above the annunciator E, which in practice I propose to arrangejust over the switchboard, I attach by a suitable bracket, 1%, a spring,S, and this spring, when the target is set or in its raised position,will complete a circuit with the annunciator A from the electricalgenerator 13 when the switch B is on but ton b, and through it to theswitch-board.

(No model.)

The operation of my device is as follows: No. 4 desiring to communicatemakes the usual call on central office, and, being answered, saysConnect me with No. 5. The operator at the switch-board will then insertconnectingplug P at the intersection of line 4 with strip 0, and plug Pat intersection of line 5 with strip 0', thus completing a circuitwhich, starting from earth, passes through generator F, line G, tospring S, target G, line H, to 1), across switch B, through annunciatorA, and through line K, to end of strip 0. Now the generator F is incircuit and givesthe alarm at station on line 5, the passing currenthaving caused As target to drop, notifying the operator at table of theconnection. The operator then moves the switch B to button a, whichplaces lines 4 and 5in direct communication with each other and cuts offthe callingpower. The operator at the table will now wait for theparties to indicate that they are through talking by giving adisconnecting-signal, or he may connect his local telephone with plate 0and listen for the cessation of the conversation, and when this occurshe presses upon key D, completing the circuit from generator Y throughline L to E, causing the target G to fall and break connection withpower F, the fall of the target also notifying the boy at theswitch-board that the plugs may be taken out and 4 and 5 disconnected.This he does, and then sets the target G, seeing which the operator attable turns the switch B back to I), thus again putting thecalling-power in readiness for another connection.

I use an annunciatior, E, for each pair of horizontal conducting-stripsa a B B G O.

W represents a local telephone of the ordinary construction, grounded asusual. X is a wrapped wire depending therefrom and terminating in ametallic plug, which, when the operator places it upon the plate 0, willbring the local telephone in circuit with the lines I and K and enablethe operator to ascertain when the conversation is at an end, so thatthe operator may by pressing upon D complete the circuit from Y to Ethrough line L, causing the target G to drop.

I am aware that I am not the first to have connected the switch-boardplates in pairs with an operators table provided with an apparatus 7),plate 0, and lines connecting them with the switchboard.

8. The combination of generator Y, key D, annunciator E, having targetGr, spring S, and battery-power, with the button 1), connectinglines,and annunciator A, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 20 have hereunto set my handthis 24th day of September, 1880.

HARRY G. HASKINS. itl'lessesz S. S. STOUT, Gus LIPMAN.

